Totally new to Motorhoming (1 Viewer)

[Copper Beech]

Thank you Ambulancekidd.

 

[Copper Beech]

Hi there,

We're also novices, but learning so much from the friendly and helpful people on this forum!

Hi Josh n Pen. Ditto your comment! So many helpful people on this forum. I am extremely grateful for all the advice and helpful comment.

 

[Copper Beech]

Hello Alan & Diane. Thank you for the welcome!

 

[Copper Beech]

Hello and welcome - enjoy your retirement!

Hello DumfriesDik. Thank you for the welcome. Looking forward to retiring in July.

 

[Copper Beech]

View attachment 604879

Thank you Jollyrodger.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[ChrisSue]

Take a trip up the M1 to Northampton with Marquis, White Arches and Heart of England

 

[Copper Beech]

The most compact van I've seen for 5 people is this one:

Vans DREAMER 2024 - Another idea of freedom

www.dreamer-van.co.uk

That's still 6m long.

EDIT: The limiting factor is probably going to be the number of belted seats.

Hello Guigsy. Thank you kindly for your suggestion. As you mention number of belted seats are going to be a crucial element.

 

[Copper Beech]

Take a trip up the M1 to Northampton with Marquis, White Arches and Heart of England

Hello folks! Thank you for the suggestion. We are in Bedford so it's a short trip up the A428.

 

[ChrisSue]

Watch out for those cumulative speed cameras

 

[Copper Beech]

If that is the case then depending on the girls ages an awning or small tent might be a viable option for the rare occasions your grand daughters accompany you rather than buying something that is 5 berth which as far as I am aware will be in excess of 6m long.
Finding something that is no longer than 5.9m but has 3 travelling seat belts in the rear might be a problem though as they tend to have the number of belts to match the number of berths in my experience.

Thank you Headlight. So many options to consider, especially do I consider the cash outlay for occasional trips by the grand daughters!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Copper Beech]

Watch out for those cumulative speed cameras

much oblidged for the heads up! Home bound at the moment because of positive Covid test!

 

[Jo662]

 

[Copper Beech]

Welcome to Fun

View attachment 604884

Thank you PP Bear.

 

[Suenliam]

Welcome and sorry about your +Covid test. Hope you get over it quickly and can resume your searches. We have downsized from a 6.8metre to a 6m which we have yet to pick up. We are very consious of the payload and available storage space so we will need to pack very carefully and there are only 2 of us and no dog. I think payload/seatbelts/space may well be your determining factors.
The very best of luck with the search.
If you do decide to go larger, perhaps suggest to your wife she could do a short (half day) confidence building session with a local HGV training firm. I did this years ago in our then motorhome and it was so helpful. Far more worthwhile than I could ever imagine.
All the best
Sue

 

[drpeej]

We have had our 5.5m PVC for 12 years and are very happy with it. We have several friends who have bought larger MHs and discovered they were too big and downsized.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Copper Beech]

Welcome and sorry about your +Covid test. Hope you get over it quickly and can resume your searches. We have downsized from a 6.8metre to a 6m which we have yet to pick up. We are very consious of the payload and available storage space so we will need to pack very carefully and there are only 2 of us and no dog. I think payload/seatbelts/space may well be your determining factors.
The very best of luck with the search.
If you do decide to go larger, perhaps suggest to your wife she could do a short (half day) confidence building session with a local HGV training firm. I did this years ago in our then motorhome and it was so helpful. Far more worthwhile than I could ever imagine.
All the best
Sue

Hi Sue. Thank you for the welcome and sharing your experience. My wife will not be doing any of the driving as she refuses to drive on Motorways or dual carriageways. She panic's at the first sight of a lorry.

 

[Copper Beech]

The choice will be in some ways mind boggling,

As Young Campers we travelled around Europe in small tents and we often spotted Hymer's / Hymermobiles and always thought when we grew up we would get one........so fast forward

We started with a VW T5 with a pop top which was great except on longer trips or ones to the highlands we found it started feeling damp inside when the weather turned bad and this was due to the Canvas on the pop top so...

We did not want a large MoHo so we looked at the market and settled on a HymerCar, the Free range should be the 'budget' level and if you look at the other Fiat/Mercedes models they have different trim finishes.

the layouts are lounge at the front and beds at the rear and they start at 5.4 Metre's we have a 5.4 Metre Ayres Rock and there is plenty of space for us. We tend to travel light and do not take loads of stuff with us but can go away for longish periods quite comfortably.

The perfect model for everyone

Whether motorhome or camper van, integrated or semi-integrated, on Mercedes-Benz or on Fiat chassis: find the right model in our overview of all HYMER motorhomes and camper vans.

www.hymer.com

Other prefer manufactures like Globecar, Adria etc, some prefer a larger Motorhome, the choice as they say is yours, its an exciting journey do Hire a couple of different layouts, makes and styles only then start looking for your dream machine

Hello coolcats. Thank you for sharing your experience and for all the information in the log. I shall check out the website. Much appreciate the feedback.

 

[Copper Beech]

All motorhomes are a compromise.
When driving you want it as small as possible.
When parked up you want it as large as possible.
There are three things to consider -
Driving
Sleeping
Living
It is unlikely that you will find a motorhome that 100% satisfies all three requirements, so you will need to decide which two are the most important.
For us it was driving (compact) and sleeping (good size permanent bed)
Our living area is small but overall we are very happy with our choice.

Thank you ontheroadagain for sharing your experience. You make very good points especially regarding driving and sleeping. As I will be doing most of the driving and will need a decent night sleep after.

 

[Copper Beech]

Welcome to the forum your first stop for information.

Hello sonar. Thank you for the welcome.

 

[Copper Beech]

We have had our 5.5m PVC for 12 years and are very happy with it. We have several friends who have bought larger MHs and discovered they were too big and downsized.

Hello Drpeej. Thank you for sharing your experience. Hopefully we can learn from your friends and try and not make the same mistake. As I have mentioned in earlier post we are retiring soon and will not have lot of capital to play with.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[HKF]

A huge welcome from France!!
We bought our first MH in August last year. There's only the two of us and a small dog but we still chose a 7.23m one. It suits us as we need to work while we're away, so we have a large living area, a fixed double at the back and a pull out double cappucine above the cab. If needed, the dining area makes anther double, too. We also have a large garage for all our 'stuff'. So far, we haven't found that 7.23 is too big at all. It handles very well on the road.
Some other things to remember;

1. Make sure you have enough storage,
2. If you go for a wet room, you'll need to dry the toilet, floor etc afterwards instead of leaving a shower tray to air dry,
3. If making food for many people, or even drinks, consider the space needed for plates, cups, kettle etc. Many MHs have no worktop space at all,
4. Don't forget your dog will need floorspace, too. We didn't want our space restricted, otherwise we could be tripping over each other,
5. If all the seat belts are used by humans, think about where your dog will travel. Our dog travels in a harness on a seat belt but if you have no seat belts free, you'll need somewhere to put a crate to ensure your dog is restrained and secure while travelling.

Have fun searching for the right one. Once you have a priorities list, you'll know which one is right as soon as you walkk into it. Good luck!

 

[Copper Beech]

A huge welcome from France!!
We bought our first MH in August last year. There's only the two of us and a small dog but we still chose a 7.23m one. It suits us as we need to work while we're away, so we have a large living area, a fixed double at the back and a pull out double cappucine above the cab. If needed, the dining area makes anther double, too. We also have a large garage for all our 'stuff'. So far, we haven't found that 7.23 is too big at all. It handles very well on the road.
Some other things to remember;

1. Make sure you have enough storage,
2. If you go for a wet room, you'll need to dry the toilet, floor etc afterwards instead of leaving a shower tray to air dry,
3. If making food for many people, or even drinks, consider the space needed for plates, cups, kettle etc. Many MHs have no worktop space at all,
4. Don't forget your dog will need floorspace, too. We didn't want our space restricted, otherwise we could be tripping over each other,
5. If all the seat belts are used by humans, think about where your dog will travel. Our dog travels in a harness on a seat belt but if you have no seat belts free, you'll need somewhere to put a crate to ensure your dog is restrained and secure while travelling.

Have fun searching for the right one. Once you have a priorities list, you'll know which one is right as soon as you walkk into it. Good luck!

View attachment 604947

Hello HFK. Thank you for the welcome and sharing your experience.When our children were young we spent lot of happy days holidaying in France. You make lot of good points and they will all have to go on the initial list except the work bit, as we are both retiring this year. The problem is the list is getting bigger by the minute and it will be a job narrow it down. I much appreciate you sharing your knowledge and experience.

 

[HKF]

Hello HFK. Thank you for the welcome and sharing your experience.When our children were young we spent lot of happy days holidaying in France. You make lot of good points and they will all have to go on the initial list except the work bit, as we are both retiring this year. The problem is the list is getting bigger by the minute and it will be a job narrow it down. I much appreciate you sharing your knowledge and experience.

No problem at all It's better to start with a long list and whittle it down to the things that really matter, than start with a short list and miss the things that matter Renting before you buy is a great idea and will give you a real 'feel' for how you need things to work. Have fun!

 

[headlight]

Re seat belt number.
It may be possible to get another travelling belt fitted.
There is certainly enough room to fit a third travelling belt in my MH.
I would imagine that if that is possible you would need to check with your insurers.

 

[Aspenshaw]

Copper Beech ...

What we think we can't have would be those too expensive; those that cannot accommodate any special needs such as a low step, soft/hard seats, mattresses; those vans that are too long, high, wide; driving licence restrictions on whoever is going to drive it plus their confidence; running costs and can it be serviced within reasonable distance. Etc.

Specifically for us who gets the boot are those over budget and those that cannot fit on our drive. Now she's left the room, I can add 'those vans that do not meet the standards of a picky wife'! Of course, once we've ruled out the obvious wrong vans, and we move on to buying a motorhome that meets are needs more or less, the wife's eye for detail avoids us choosing the wrong van from the list of potentials.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[WynandJean]

Hello and welcome from West Midlands.

Wyn

 

[drpeej]

Hello Drpeej. Thank you for sharing your experience. Hopefully we can learn from your friends and try and not make the same mistake. As I have mentioned in earlier post we are retiring soon and will not have lot of capital to play with.

What you need to realise is that all motorhomes are a compromise. It's a case of deciding where your red lines are. We were constrained by the length of our drive. Our neighbour has bought a massive 7 metre beast which can't fit on the drive. As a result it stays on the road outside.

We are very choosy about what we take with us. If we had loads of storage we would take 'stuff' that we don't need.

I think many motorhome owners see it as a mobile replacement for home and want all the home comforts. We see it as 'posh camping' as even a small PVC is more luxurious than a small tent.

 

[HKF]

What you need to realise is that all motorhomes are a compromise. It's a case of deciding where your red lines are. We were constrained by the length of our drive. Our neighbour has bought a massive 7 metre beast which can't fit on the drive. As a result it stays on the road outside.

We are very choosy about what we take with us. If we had loads of storage we would take 'stuff' that we don't need.

I think many motorhome owners see it as a mobile replacement for home and want all the home comforts. We see it as 'posh camping' as even a small PVC is more luxurious than a small tent.

We wanted the best we could find that suited our needs. We needed space, two double beds without having to use the seating area, a large garage, plenty of seating, roomy kitchen, roomy bathroom, plenty of light etc etc. There's only the two of us and a small dog but we weren't prepared to compromise. To us, our MoHo IS a mobile replacement for our home. What you need to realise is that everyone's needs are different and there's nothing wrong in searching for exactly what you want, with no 'red lines'

 

[ED O'DARAC]

Even if you don't hire (though that is great advice) go round to lots of dealers and look ar as many vans as you can. Do things like getting to the loo whilst the other person is in the kitchen, getting in to the front seats from the habitation area, lifting up the seats to get to the storage.

Perfect advice, Mukesh, mimic your daily routines, this will quickly rule out a lot of vans you were considering. Please ignore 5.9metres advice unless you physically cannot store the van if it is longer. The right layout will jump out at you when you do your daily routines.
For me, the decision should be: 1. What manufacturer's quality feels right?
2. What layout will allow our daily routine without bumping or clashing, or 'asking permission to squeeze past to visit the loo.
3. Order one, or better still, get a good second hand one.

 

[drpeej]

We wanted the best we could find that suited our needs. We needed space, two double beds without having to use the seating area, a large garage, plenty of seating, roomy kitchen, roomy bathroom, plenty of light etc etc. There's only the two of us and a small dog but we weren't prepared to compromise. To us, our MoHo IS a mobile replacement for our home. What you need to realise is that everyone's needs are different and there's nothing wrong in searching for exactly what you want, with no 'red lines'

Thats fine. However everyone is different. My point is that it's easy to think bigger and bigger when actually that may not suit your personal needs.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}